NO. 34 Folly of extravagance. The story of Misargyrus. 39 On sleep. 41 Sequel of the story of Misargyrus. 45 The difficulty of forming confederacies. 50 On lying. 53 Misargyrus' account of his companions in the Fleet. 58 Presumption of modern criticism censured. Ancient poetry necessarily obscure. Examples from Horace. 62 Misargyrus' account of his companions concluded. 67 On the trades of Londo. 69 Idle hope. 74 Apology for neglecting officious advice. 81 Incitement to enterprise and emulation. Some account of the admirable Crichton. 84 Folly of false pretences to importance. A journey in a stage coach. 85 Study, composition and converse equally necessary to intellectual accomplishment. 92 Criticism on the Pastorals of Virgil. 95 Apology for apparent plagiarism. Sources of literary variety. 99 Projectors injudiciously censured and applauded. 102 Infelicities of retirement to men of business. 107 Different opinions equally plausible. 108 On the uncertainty of human things. THE WORKS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON IN SIXTEEN VOLUMES VOLUME IV THE RAMBLER BY SAMUEL JOHNSON No. 171. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1751 Toeet coeli convexa tueri. VIRG. AEn. iv. 451. Dark is the sun, and loathsome is the day. TO THE RAMBLER. SIR, MISELLA now sits down to continue her narrative. I am convinced that nothing would more powerfully preserve youth from irregularity, or guard inexperience from seduction, than a just description of the condition into which the wanton plunges herself; and therefore hope that my letter may be a sufficient antidote to my example. After the distraction, hesitation, and delays which the timidity of guilt naturally produces, I was removed to lodgings in a distant part of the town, under one of the characters commonly assumed upon such occasions. Here being by my circumstances condemned to solitude, I passed most of my hours in bitterness and anguish. The conversation of the people with whom I was placed was not at all capable of engaging my attention, or dispossessing the reigning ideas. The books which I carried to my retreat were such as heightened my abhorrence of myself; for I was not so far abandoned as to sink voluntarily into corruption, or endeavour to conceal from my own mind the enormity of my crime.